PUNCTURE WOUNDS

These wounds are made by penetrating objects, such as nails, needles, splinters, and knives. These wounds may be deceptive, because bleeding is usually minimal and the opening at the point of entry is relatively small. But foreign objects, such as splinters, thorns, and needle points, may be broken off and concealed deep in subcutaneous tissue. Such wounds become infected quite easily. Puncture injuries over the joints are especially hazardous, since severely disabling joint infections can result if the joint space is entered.

Treatment for PUNCTURE WOUNDS

Minor injuries, such as small punctures from briars, require no more care than removal of the object and cleansing. Thorough cleansing and the removal of foreign matter is again, of paramount importance. But deep, penetrating wounds which contain dead tissue and debris are ideal for the development of secondary infec­tion and tetanus. If there is any doubt about the handling of these and any other wounds, medical attention should be sought.

FRICTION BLISTERS Treatment

Repeated or prolonged traction over the skin, perhaps from ill-­fitting shoes, wrinkled socks, or unaccustomed raking or shoveling, soon separates the superficial from the deeper levels of the skin. When the space thus created fills with fluid a blister has formed. Friction between the skin and adhesive tape is a prime cause of blisters in athletes. Depending on their location, even small blisters can disrupt the performance of an athlete.

Treatment for FRICTION BLISTERS

Blisters caused by friction from shoes or other equipment should be left intact and protected meticulously. The site can be protected with tape and cushioned with foam rubber or moleskin, as needed, while the roof of the blister keeps the deeper layers of skin from further friction and secondary infection. Medical ad­hesive tape or Zonas tape can be used. If necessary the blister can be punctured and drained, by cleansing the skin around the blister, and then puncturing the blister at its edge with a needle that has been sterilized with alcohol. The fluid can then be pressed out of the blister; if the blister is broken, any ragged edges should be trimmed away since they may irritate the raw wound.

Blisters that occur in areas less troublesome than the feet can be treated in similar fashion.

FRICTION BLISTERS Prevention Tips

Friction blisters are best avoided by wearing carefully fitted shoes and wrinkle-free socks. One must be especially careful when wearing new shoes or orthotics; long runs or hikes should not be attempted in shoes that are not well broken-in. Some runners feel they do better without socks, but most prefer one or sometimes two pairs. Thick ointments, such as petroleum jelly, can be applied liberally to sites of friction on the feet or elsewhere before long hikes or runs. If taping is necessary, it should be done carefully and re-done if it begins to irritate the skin; applying wax or oint­ment to the tape may decrease friction. The ointment should be applied liberally to the sock over the site as well.

Hot spots are red, warm, tender areas that indicate incipient blister formation. The application of an ice cube will minimize the likelihood of blistering; hot spots should then be protected with a layer of very thin, smooth tape or by soft padding to eliminate further friction.

How Do You Treat a Laceration?

Simply stated, a laceration is a cut or tear through the full thickness of the skin, for which a sharp object is often but not necessarily responsible. Lacerations may be clean incisions, as if made with a sharp blade, but they can also be irregular, exten­sively bruised, and contaminated with dirt and debris. Dirty lacerations are likely to become infected. Bleeding is more promi­nent from lacerations than from abrasions.

Treatment for Laceration

The first step in treatment, again, is cleansing; all foreign matter and dead tissue should be removed.

Excessive bleeding can usually be controlled by local pressure, for which the wound edges should be pushed together and com­pressed tightly against deeper tissues. Clean cloth is preferable, but fingers will do if nothing else is available; pressure should be sustained until bleeding is slowed or stopped altogether. Blood from the wound should not be dabbed repeatedly with the cloth as this can lead to significant blood loss, especially from the scalp. The elevation of bleeding extremities may be helpful. If an artery is severed, the fingers are used to compress the artery at a pressure point above the wound, with tourniquets used as a last resort.

Medical care should be sought for all but minor lacerations. Irri­gation with sterile solutions, suturing, tetanus prophylaxis, and sometimes antibiotics may be necessary. Superficial lacerations that are not gaping may require only taping or sterile dressings. If one is unsure about handling such wounds, he should consult a physician.

The role of prevention is not prominent, since lacerations are usually the result of accidental injuries.

Alcoholism Treatment - AA’s Twelve Steps for Recovery

1. Admitting to oneself that he or she has a problem with alcohol which requires professional help

2. Firmly believing in a higher power which can help cure the condition

3. Decide to surrender everything to the power of God including our will.

4. Analyzing and assessing ourselves honestly

5. Admitting the results of our assessment to someone other than ourselves and to God.

6. Ready to allow God to work on removing our imperfections


7. Asking God to intervene and help us with our endeavour to become perfect.

8. Thinking of all the people we have hurt or harmed in some way or the other and trying our best to make up to them.


9. Directly approaching these people and making up with them.

10. Self assessment as a continuous process and making it a habit to admit our wrongs immediately.


11. Pray and consciously meditate in order to merge with the cosmic consciousness or God.

12. Once having attained an exalted spiritual feeling by following these steps, spread the message among others who need help and guidance.

Myths and Truth about Alcoholism

One myth is that beer does not produce as much intoxication in a person as other alcoholic beverages. Fact is that twelve ounce of beer produces as much of an intoxication as four ounce of wine.

The second myth states that switching between different alcoholic drinks makes a person more drunk. This is also false. Mixing drinks may sometimes lead to an upset stomach but does not have any effect on the intoxicated state of the person.

The third myth says that a person who is very high can be made sober by giving him a cold shower, a cup of hot coffee or taking him to the fresh air. Fact is that all this does not really help. Only time brings down the level of alcohol in the system of a person.

According to the fourth myth, if a person eats well before he starts drinking he will remain sober and will not get high. The fact remains that a person gets drunk depending on the amount of alcohol he consumes. The only thing that may happen is that he may take a little longer to get high but he definitely will.

Another myth states that alcohol affects everyone in the same manner and to the same extent. The fact remains that there are a lot of factors like metabolism, gender of a person; body chemistry of a person, weight of the person, etc has an effect on how the person reacts to alcohol in his system.

Campral for Alcoholism

Campral is basically acamprosat calcium. This medication has gained in popularity recently especially in the United States for treatment for alcoholism. In Europe this medicine has been in use for quite some time now.

What campral actually does is that it balances and replaces certain chemicals in the brain which had been disturbed due to alcohol abuse. This helps people keep away from alcohol as their brains start functioning normally. Campral is also very effective for treatment of withdrawal symptoms. It relieves drinkers from extreme discomfort and emotional upheaval during his or her withdrawal period.

Campral is a time release capsule which comes in a concentration of 333 mg. This medicine is prescribed to be taken thrice a day. People suffering from other ailments need to adjust their dosage after consulting their physician. Being a time release capsule, campral should only be swallowed whole and should not be broken or crushed at any cost.
Duration of medication is usually twelve months as this tablet is not addictive and its side effects are very mild. Side effects include dry mouth, headache, itching, loss of appetite, sweating, insomnia, diarrhoea, dizziness, etc.

Very rarely do people taking campral experience severe side effects like feeling nervous and anxious, feeling a tingling sensation in their arms and feet, feeling depressed and suicidal, urinating less often, experiencing pain in the chest, etc.

This medication should be taken by people who have given up the habit of drinking. It does not work for people who are drinking in the sly or continue to drink in public. If a person is suffering from any kind of a kidney disease, has suicidal tendencies, has an allergy to sulphites, is pregnant or breastfeeding, etc he or she should not take campral to treat the condition of alcoholism.

Campral is more effective when taken combined with other forms of treatments like therapies, counselling, etc. Like every other drug, campral is more successful and effective in some than in others.

Treating aAlcoholics with Antabuse

Treating alcoholics with antabuse was one of the first pharmaceutical treatments introduced. Taking antabuse during drinking creates unpleasant feelings and side effects. This negative reaction drives the person to give up the habit of drinking.

Alcohol when it enters the body is synthesized into acetaldehyde which is highly toxic. This acetaldehyde is further broken down into acetic acid which is comparatively milder and with no side effects.
The function of antabuse is to stop the acetaldehyde from further metabolising into acetic acid thereby creating an accumulation of this toxic substance in the body of the drinker. This creates a lot of unpleasant feelings and disturbances in the body thereby forcing the person to give up his drinking habit.

Symptoms produced by antabuse includes vomiting, sweating, severe throbbing and headaches, neck pain, difficulty in breathing, pain in the chest, flushed feeling, nausea, dyspnoea and palpitations. Other symptoms include uneasiness all the time, blurring in the vision, a confused feeling, hypotension, tachycardia, weakness, etc.

Apart from these milder symptoms a person may also experience heart failure, become unconscious, convulsions, depression in the respiratory system and sometime even collapse and death.

This makes it extremely important for the person who is going to be taking this drug to be aware of its implications and he must want to give up the habit of drinking. This drug must never be given to a person who is not aware of it. This may result in very serious complications.

If a person already has a defective heart, he should not be prescribed this medication. All aspects should be carefully considered before going in for this drug. Pregnant women should keep away from this drug.

Research shows that using this drug on a long term is quite effective. Practically speaking, the moment the drug is discontinued, the person goes back to the habit of drinking. This drug thus does not cure one of the symptoms of craving or any other withdrawal symptoms.

The person’s cooperation and regularity in taking the medicine is very essential for effective treatment of the condition. This drug must be continued on a long term basis for positive results.